The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-02-06
THE STAGE.


closed ut Albaugh's Opera House Washington
At Inst has had grand opera" presented upon
scale well worthy of the name. AS the woid im-
plies, each entertainment has indeed cycmptcd
the highest products OF not one hut many arts.
Music, pocsy, painting the art ot personal adorn-
mcnt, the beauty ot the human form divine, aud
the poetry of motion have combined Us ncycrhc.
fore. perhaps In the capital of the new, and hut
newly artistic world, To cnthrall nll the senses
\ years experience In the tire
mcnduus enterprise they have undertaken has
enabled the management OF the then American
and now more ilttingly National Opera Company
to present even more completeness and mag
ntcCncC of ensemble than ON their former visit.
This year, moreover they have produced ut least
four works oi the most cxacting qualities,
wherein they challenge the most pcriluus COM
parisons, inasinuch rs the greatest artists oi the
musical world have been heard in them repeat .
Clly IN our midst.
That our American singers have So tri,m- |
phantly emerged from the ordeal can inspire only |
pride for the present aud the most iiattcrng
hopes Tor the future. "Hugucnois," on Monday
night, was indeed n crucial test, hy reason at
once NJ the hcaNincSs yet familiarity of tsmiisic,
the memories II would necessarily recall of u
Nilsson, n Campanini, and somany of the queens
and cmpcro,s Of song, and lastly hy the fact
that the comparatively slender scheme OF orchcs
hation, rs viewed hy modern methods, would
leave the voices to bc judged on their merits in
roles more trying and less ssthoroughly assmated
than almost any Others oi the rcpcrtory, II was
perhaps from several OF such causes TINT nicrthc
burst of applause which greeted the superb
stage picture AT the rising of the curtain the
vast audience remained comparatively cold even
through Mdrccrs whitney splendid singing ui
Luthcr's stern old ba,tlc-hymn und the famous
"Pin-Pal" song, nnl Jessie Bartlett Daviss al
together sympathetic and charming rendition of
trbdhS lovely song ot the page. 1t needed
the mary clnus brl-likc noics ri Nine. EAllc-
| mand, In the exquisite ANA ornate music
allotted to the Queen IN the second act,
To rouse the house Ia the proper pitch
of enthusiasm, hy that absolute purity OF
tone ani almost incredible facility of execution
which are the dominant traits of her wcll.niRh
perfect voice. Later the strong sccnd before the
church between Marcel aud Valentine, wherein
the always sturdy and sonornus organ of the
great New England hasso blended in most har-
monious contention with the fine heroic and dra-
matte soprano of Nine. Bertha picrson, again
brought thundcis of applause. The tremendous
climnctic effects OF the blessing of the swords and
the bcstowal of the badges OF distinction before
| the massacre oi st. bartholomew were given
with thrilling power And again in the great
duo At the finale between Rd"m Mr.. Candidus
| and Valentine the singers gave the music with
infinite expression and lcryor, nnd saved the situn-
| tion from the hopeless ahsurdity of the lihrctto
| William Iudwrs noble voice was heard us
always with delight in the too limited music of
| 81. Bris, while Mr. Stodiard sang and acted with
much spirit and taste the role of Ncr,rs. Chorus
and orchestra To Il unit were with Mr.
| Thomus's slightest look and gesture and
the uncountcl thousands who had sat
Tor STOOD brcathleSs through the great
rendition of Mcytrbecr's wcighty masterpiece
hcavcd n sigh of satisfaction and departed with a
wcll-cstabshct awe of the abilities ot our native
,or at least naturalizc,h musicians.
Tuesday night witnessed an assembly oNastcr
than the first, inasmuch as ull the seats hcing
taken the policemen simply turn away SO many
of the proposed standcr.-up each night as they
think the public sntcty demands. hut, in point
OF appreciation, of course, II was to bc expected
that the sweet, appealing heart music OF what is
really Gounods life message to mankind should
rouse louder echo al enthusiasm. And most
dcscNcily So Miss Juch in Voice. action, and
appearance goes, very near To being the idcalNdr
Ouerit, and her work whether in the tender pntho:
Of the King 0t Thuls, the showcrci diamonds
al melody ot the Jewel Song" on the hcnrt
broken strains OF the later scenes, was always
characterized by dclicacy of sentiment, depth OF
feeling and charm of rendition. The new tenor
Mr. Charles Bassctt, was pleasant surprise
. OF course, he could not but suffer 10y comparison
with some of the great artists who have sung
this part But his voice is of delicious quality
and, as he is young, in the present dcaith of ten
on he must he counted II decided acquisition
Perhaps eventually, like Capoul he will attain i
, histronic Nigor tu atone for some little luck o
. vocal strength. Lnlwig's great voice same nu
{ magnicSntly In the Satanic music ot VI, phi
stoI,hilcs and Mrs. Davis was if possible ever
! more charming ns Sichel than her Tridm of til,
, previous evening The opera was given IN IT,
entirety, the curtain rising nj .:iJ and not iinull,
descending until four hours later for the pilr
a pose. The scene on the lrOckcn served for tn,
. Introduction of Gounod's beautiful ballet mus
= pany. A. on the preceding evening, scenery
costumes, and all the accessories lett ubsolutc
nothing to he desired: nnd the performance q
- Faust" was upon the whole one oi the mos
symmetrical and pOcticul ever given in America
J., "Ada," written under "A commission from tn
y khc'iNc when that royal spcndthriit was mos
n piousy intent upon his heavcn-appointed task q
bankruptinH his unhappy country, IL II sort q
/ Arabian Nights phantasy al oriental splcnio
transported to the natter-oi-fuct atmosphere q
:, , the nineteenth century. But not the LAWS
I. sumptuo-ncss of its initial production in Gran
Cairo could have very greatly surpassed th
il spectacle of Wednesday night. The scenic an
n decorative effects, magnificent thr0ngiou
v hurst into blaze of burbaric gOrgconsncss Il
l. the grand tlunphal tntiss al Rhdridmss in til
IL second act. Madame Fursch-M Mnd who has sun
Il Ihid some hundreds of times in Europe, infus,
a into the role an impassiOnei icrvor which seen
r Ia communicate itself to every member of tn
IA some of the .ns5 nitS and tnalcS striking cor
Il trast 10 the occasional timidty and indecision
4. Monday night. Mr.. Canddus, Tor instance san
" ana acted with much more hrc and his pc
r Sonati0n, IRON the ohanninply phras,
y Celeste Aida" to the death song in II
crypt, deserves nothing but praise. Mile. Vi
" Lunten. who possesses u strong il moi always tho
. oughly agreeable conirultO gave IA vivid po
y truyai oi the intense role al .imns,is, and NJ
s'todduii ns the Ethiopian King and Mr.. VIII
m ncy in the solemn numbers 0i RdnhS Were mo
rr than excellent. Taken all in all, the cuinilat
grandeur ui the broad aiIi imposing scenic, oh
a. raj, nui orchestral elects made Aida prJhnb
III the most pronounced and electric success OF Z
season.
From the burning sands the fiery passions, q
-,Ihtropical spcniOr and mcrlional sensuo,
ness OF the great Egyptian mlsic-'iiamn to I
e stormy hcadlnnis, the tossing sea, the scurTyi
n clouds and mysterious ightningS al the Norw
tc gan fiiOrd and the weird legend OF the "Flyi
IN Dutchman,n no more startling artistic contri
ri could he Imagined. There j. nn uhcnrti
I. beauty about this most mclodo,s OF the gre
cr Wupncriun themes, which iinds the less gucrd
vs. in mere empty applause in proportion rs II sin
" deeply into the very hearts oi the hearers. i
ed exquisite sentiment and tr,lc p0etical tccli
ro this work u the best thing Our National -ing'
M have hitherto attempted. The sOmhIc noithC
h' skies, the black masts ana hooi-rcd sails oi I
A. phantom ship, the night ANA the storm are b
cu the background Ion "a production cmboiying
"a highest qualities Of the ideal. William L,Ilwil
", one Of the few great singers Of the world a
m, The Dinthnidn is cisily his greatest role. ]
~ unuttciublc melancholy OF the SGT, white Ia
In the noble, vibrant, soulful voice pien io. ldTH
~ ~Irchargcd with the uncndnp sorrows oi
III relentless doom can never De forgotten 10y tn
nj who have seen and heard them. The w
: dcriul duo with S,ntd was listened To viii
'"' brcnthlcss and almost painful intensity, ana y
sung ns the great composer must hnyc hear
IA his dreams. Miss Juch IN the role Oi the y
w w tie ANA plying sentd, loving hut one and n
M, unto death finds u character still better sui
NJ Ia the exquisite purity al her voice and sw.
lis ness Oi her manner than even her MdrDuer
10 Nj, fc,scnicn sang the song al the stccr-nu
I'm with all ol his wOntci excellence oi meth
~ whitney was the same blni ana tuncful
iJlidHd, aud Mr. iia-sctt, who succeeds
nj Applcby rs EIb, by the agreeable quality
uI- tasteful management Oi his pleasing tenor
al UidzId, proved u most desirable acquisition to
1i cast, which now leaves -caieelN anything Ia
,Ir desired on suggested.
pn Wagner never willingly dcsocnds from the
|. d. A. 4